$1B resort revealed for Fairfield State Park

Fairfield Lake State Park in Freestone County will soon be known for more than its natural beauty.

Dallas-based Todd Interests has solidified plans for a $1 billion development known as the Freestone Club, an exclusive golf course community and resort on a 5,000-acre site at the picturesque state park 90 miles south of Dallas, the Dallas Morning News reported. The property was marketed for over $110 million, but terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Previous owner Vistra Corp. put the site on the market several years ago. The State of Texas leased a portion of the land for the park, but declined to purchase it, the outlet said.

Freestone Club will consist of roughly 400 homes priced between $5 million and $7 million, and the first phase of development will include 200 homesites. Todd Interests is collaborating with various custom homebuilders for the project, with lots starting at a minimum of 1 acre to “preserve Freestone’s raw beauty.”

“We are mindful of the land and history,” Todd Interests CEO Shawn Todd told the outlet. “You could have done thousands of lots on the property. We are doing 400.”

The 150-acre golf course will be on an island west of the 2,400-acre Fairfield Lake. Golf course architect Beau Welling, who also built the new PGA of America course in Frisco, will work his magic at the state park as well. 

The property will feature an amenity center called the Point, including restaurants, a fitness center, ­­resort pool, spa and store. The site will also have boat slips, a lakeside bar, tennis courts, hiking trails, a wiffle-ball stadium, a golf clubhouse and golf cabins for overnight guests, the outlet said.

The Freestone Club’s relatively close proximity to Texas’ major cities could attract buyers from all over the state, as Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Waco and Austin are all within a two-and-a-half hour drive.

“We haven’t found a property anywhere with a higher concentration of people within a two and a half hour drive,” Todd Interests’ Patrick Todd told the outlet.

Fairfield Lake State Park was built in the 1960s and was made available to the public in 1976. The 1,800-acre park has remained popular over the years for its hiking trails, campgrounds, horseback riding, boating, fishing and scenic beauty. 

—Quinn Donoghue